Emphasizing diverse perspectives and underrepresented voices, this textbook guides readers through the craft of screenwriting. It offers a comprehensive approach to writing feature-length screenplays, integrating themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The focus on these crucial elements aims to enrich storytelling and ensure a broader representation in the screenwriting landscape.
This guide offers screenwriting strategies centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion, aiming to help writers navigate the complexities of visual storytelling. In a pivotal historical moment, the significance of screenwriting in addressing racism and inequity in media is paramount. Often, the representations of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class are not adequately considered during the screenplay creation process. The focus here is on fostering accountability in screenwriting, encouraging writers to explore their creative impulses while revealing unconscious biases and systemic racism. Through five case studies of successful and award-winning screenplays that challenge stereotypes, the text showcases multidimensional portrayals of historically underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ, African American, Latino, and Asian American characters. Each case study delves into various aspects of screenwriting, such as adaptation, plot structure, characterization, setting, symbolism, and genre conventions, providing a comprehensive analysis that emphasizes the importance of inclusive storytelling.
Focusing on the representation of Asian identities in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1960s, the book examines how non-Asian actors portrayed iconic roles, often using specific gestures and narrative conventions. Karla Rae Fuller highlights the archetypal standards set by these performances, revealing the artificial nature of Hollywood's racial depictions. The analysis not only critiques the portrayal of ethnicity in film but also addresses broader themes of identity and performance in American cinema during this era.
